And whoso had done an atom's weight of good shall see it; and whoso has done an atom's weight of evil shall see it. Quran 99:58.

Defense
Day or Pakistan's Memorial Day!

The 6th of September is
a golden chapter in the history of Pakistan, when Pakistan, its military and
people stood united in 1965 in defense of Pakistan. Later in 1971, taking advantage
of the civil war in East Pakistan, attacked and dismembered Pakistan in a humiliating
defeat. In the first war the nation was united in the second war it was fighting
with itself.

"Why is it, one may
ask, that we still celebrate this day as the Defense of Pakistan Day when during
the passage of 35 years since, we had another war thrust on us by India, with
disastrous results and dismemberment of the country. In many ways people strongly
feel that it is now more important to recall and remember the 6th of September
as it was our 'finest hour' to borrow a famous Churchillian phrase. The 6th
of September is important to us as a nation because the Indo-Pakistan war that
followed was fought by Pakistan as a nation united in its determination and
resolve to halt and beat back Indian multi-dimensional attacks against Pakistan,"
as Lt. Gen. (Retd) Sardar F. S. Lodi states in The Nation newspaper, on Sept.
6, 2000.

While a number of decisions
made by the Army High Command during the four wars fought by the country have
been the subject of controversy, what has remained unquestioned is the valour
displayed by thousands of jawans and young officers in all these conflicts.

The following selection
of thought-provoking articles and analyses would further enrich our discussion,
lessons, and memories on this year's Defense Day, which we suggest should be
renamed as memorial day:

Dual
Deterrence: Pakistan's Strategic BonusThe imposition of
sanctions by the US and Japan, and the looming threat to our already fragile
economy is indeed a blessing without disguise. Pakistan's historic decision
to explode six nuclear warheads on 28th and 30th May 1998 in response to India's
megalomanic power display by detonating five nuclear devices on 11th and 13th
May 1998, are essentially courageous acts of strategic defiance.

Revealed:
Official history of 1965 war Thirty-six years ago
on September 6, the Indian Army crossed the Wagah border at 4 a.m. and moved
towards Lahore. This attack touched off the second Indo-Pakistan war. The Times
of India has acquired a copy of the official history of the 1965 war, finalised
by the defence ministry in 1992 after years of research, but suppressed ever
since. Contemporary accounts, generated by a jingoistic press, saw the war as
a spectacular victory on almost every front. But the truth -- which cannot be
hidden despite the best efforts of the official historians -- is that the war
was, in the words of one its most distinguished commanders, Lt. Gen. Harbakhsh
Singh, "a catalogue of lost victories".

Towards
Self-reliance in Armaments July 20th 2001 was
an important and significant day in the history of Pakistan's defence effort
when the first batch of 15 Al-Khalid main battle tanks after lengthy factory
and user trials were handed over to the Pakistan Army at a simple and dignified
ceremony at Taxila. The tanks were issued to the 31st Cavalry Regiment of Pakistan's
Armoured Corps. An amount of $20 million was spent on the indigenous development
of Al-Khalid main battle tank, spread over a period of eight years. This shows
the low development costs of the tank. As a comparison it must be noted that
our neighbour India has invested over $500 million on its Arjun tank which is
still not in production. Al-Khalid is an ideal blend of mobility, firepower
and protection and its high agility and obstacle crossing capability. The final
product is the outcome of dedication and selfless devotion to duty displayed
by the Chairman and his team of officers both in uniform and mufti. The nation
is proud of their achievements and hold them in high esteem.

The
Legacy of Pakistan Air Force [PAF]On 13 April 1948,
the Father of the Nation, while addressing a small band of enthusiastic airmen
at the fledging nation's Air Force Flying School, delivered the following historic
message: "A country without a strong Airforce is at the mercy of any aggressor;
Pakistan must build up her Airforce as quickly as possible. It must be an efficient
airforce, second to none." Exactly forty nine years later, Air Marshall
(Retd) Asghar Khan who spoke as the Chief Guest at the Golden Jubilee Parade
of the PAF Academy, Risalpur, said: "It goes to the credit of the Pakistan
Airforce that it took the Quaid's words with a heroic spirit, and has since
lived up to its expectations. The PAF is known today, as it was then, for its
discipline and professional competence. It has acquired itself with credit in
both the wars in which it was called upon to participate. Remember the present
conditions require you not only to be 'second to none' as the Quaid commanded
you..."